It’s summer vacation time, and if you’re taking a trip to Walt Disney World you’re going to be taking a LOT of family photos capturing all the magic!
Cinderella Castle
But, how many times have you been left out of a photo because you were the “designated” photographer? Have you ever relied on the kindness of strangers to snap a photo of your family? We know we have!
To make picture taking easy, Disney has an innovative way to capture digital memories of your family vacation called Memory Maker and our good friends at Small World Vacations have some great tips on how to use Memory Maker to capture ALL the magic of your Disney World vacation!
What is Memory Maker?
Memory Maker
is a photo package that gives you access to unlimited digital downloads of your Walt Disney World vacation pictures to share, print, or turn into gifts. Memory Maker is normally priced at $199.00, but you can save $30.00 by purchasing it in advance for $169.00 online and adding it to your Walt Disney World vacation package before you leave home.
Say cheese with Memory Maker! ©Disney
You’ll need to link Memory Maker to your MagicBand, theme park ticket, Annual Pass, or PhotoPass card in your MyDisneyExperience account. It’s easy to access, download, or share the photos on MyDisneyPhotoPass.com or your My Disney Experience account, and pictures are available for download for 45 days after each picture was taken.
Why Buy Memory Maker?
Imagine a priceless photo of your entire family posed in front of Cinderella Castle or the floating mountains in Pandora. Or how about an action shot as you plummet down Splash Mountain or drop 13 stories on Tower of Terror?
With your Memory Maker Package, you have access to digital photos taken by Disney PhotoPass photographers located at picture perfect spots throughout the Disney theme parks, select dining locations, and character meet and greets as well as on-ride photos. If you don’t purchase a Memory Maker Package, you can still buy individual photos at $18.95 each at MyDisneyPhotoPass.com.
Capture magical vacation memories! ©Disney
You can view your Memory Maker photos and personalize them with borders and more at Disney PhotoPass. Photo keepsakes including magnets, coffee mugs, photo books, coasters, metal prints, ornaments, stationery, phone cases, and more are also available.
And remember you can ask PhotoPass photographers to use your personal camera, tablet, or phone to take pictures, too!
Where Can You Use Memory Maker?
Memory Maker photos are available at select attractions, dining locations, and more! Below is the current list of theme park rides and dining locations where you can capture photos with Memory Maker.
Rides with Action Shots
- Epcot: Test Track, Frozen Ever After
- Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest, Dinosaur
- Hollywood Studios: Slinky Dog Dash, Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n Roller Coaster
- Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean
Attraction Mini-Videos (only available with purchase of Memory Maker)
- Hollywood Studios: Tower of Terror
- Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Character Meals and Dinner Shows
- Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway in Epcot
- Be Our Guest (dinner when Beast is present)
- 1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
- ‘Ohana character breakfast at Disney’s Polynesian Resort
- Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney’s Polynesian Resort
- Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Cinderella’s Royal Table in Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom
- Tusker House character dining in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
Memory Maker One Day
Planning a quick stop at the parks for a day? Maybe you want someone to snap some photos so your hands are free for trick or treating during Mickey’s No So Scary Halloween Party? You’re in luck! Disney offers a Memory Maker One Day which provides you with many of the same benefits as Memory Maker for just $69.
For a single day of your choice, you’ll get digital downloads of your Disney PhotoPass photos linked to your My Disney Experience account taken on that day. The Memory Maker One Day window begins at 6 AM and ends at 5:59 AM on the following day. After you have taken one PhotoPass photo, the “One Day” option appears in your My Disney Experience app. You’ll have 45 days to link and download your photos with this package.
Magic Shots
Sometimes, Disney sprinkles a little pixie dust by adding surprise characters or cute animation to your photos with Magic Shots! Be sure to ask the Disney PhotoPass Photographers if you can pose for a Magic Shots photo.
©Disney
To learn which Magic Shots are currently available at each of the four theme parks, head over to the Disney PhotoPass Service Facebook page, navigate to the Photos tab, and then to the Albums. Here you’ll find each park’s current Magic Shot offerings and where they can typically be found.
The newest Animated Magic Shots will capture your character meet and greet from a bird’s-eye perspective.
Link Your Photos With Friends and Family For Savings
And remember, if you are traveling with more than one family, only one family needs to purchase Memory Maker as long as you are linked on My Disney Experience as friends and family. When you get home, you’ll have fun exploring all the fun ways to print and enjoy your photos. Select Annual Passholder Passes are entitled to unlimited PhotoPass digital downloads.
Is Memory Maker Worth It?
So is Memory Maker right for you? If you’re the kind of person who only needs two or three family vacation photos, then it makes more sense to simply purchase the few photos you like best instead of buying Memory Maker. At $19 per photo, you’d need to purchase eight or more to get close to the cost of the discounted Memory Maker option.
BUT if you want access to all the photos, everywhere, go ahead and pre-purchase Memory Maker for your trip. We rarely hear people say they regret purchasing it.
If you’re not up for the cost, remember again that photopass photographers will take your photo with your camera or mobile device, so that’s absolutely an option for you. But this way you’d miss out on action shots from the rides, magic shots, and customizing your photos with Disney stickers and other exclusive add-ons.
In the end, it’s up to you! But we know you’ll have a wonderful vacation no matter how you document it!
©Disney
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There is also a photographer at Wilderness Lodge for dining at Artist Point with Snow White and the “Evil” Queen. The Queen was amazing with my special needs granddaughter. She actually got down on one knee to interact with my nonverbal four year old. That picture is priceless!
Memory Maker was one of those things that I went back and forth on for months. I’m so glad I eventually bit the bullet. It was worth every penny!
Oooo, where was that Stitch shot? Must have!
We just got back from Disney, and I was disappointed with Memory Maker this time. The only ride photos that linked to our account were ones where we scanned our magic bands. We rode Dinosaur, Haunted Mansion, etc and never saw any of those. We have used it in the past, and have loved it. On the flip side, we had great photos from Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and the Trials of the Jedi. Unless we have special events planned ahead of time, I don’t know if we will use this next time.
The borders are no longer available wish I knew that before I bought it. Now I think it might not be worth it
We are a party of 20 traveling together. If only one family buys the Memory maker and we link to the other family and friends traveling with us, can they download photos as well?
Tiffany, sometimes Disney can find missing Memory Maker pics if you can supply the date you were at the park (and other info). Might be worth trying to see if they can track down your on-ride photos!
Caryn, we’ve got it featured in this post. It’s on the bridge leading into Tomorrowland!
Deanna, everyone in the party can link to the Memory Maker and view the pictures, but only the purchaser can download the images. (And note that even if the purchaser isn’t riding a certain attraction, on-ride pics of the other members of the group should still show up!)
Thank you so much, Sarah! Marked as a priority for September Trip.
We were super disappointed with Memory Maker. Out of 200+ photos on file only 27 were actually of us. All the others were multiples of the exact same shot of other people on various rides. Most of our ride photos were missing and despite me contacting them and giving them the exact times and dates of our rides (because most of the pics were on Fastpass rides) and showing them our exact clothing and faces they were looking for (using photos taken on my phone that same day) they kept coming back with either “sorry we can’t find your photos” or “sorry the ride camera was having issues that day so your photos weren’t taken”. HUGE waste of money and felt really brushed off by Disney as though they couldn’t care less (which given the money they make off people I’m sure it didn’t matter one bit to them that someone’s ‘memories’ were lost). I’d strongly recommend if you do go the Memory Maker route that you also take photos on another device (phone/camera) to have as a back up and avoid possible disappointment.
I’m definitely getting memory maker.
I hope I can find Sorcerer Mickey.
I would love to have that photo.
Just found this blog so my comments are late. Have used Photo Pass 3 times before. Had Photo Pass for our May 2019 trip. Very disappointed. No photographers at many attractions, and cameras weren’t working on Everest. This time a total waste of money. Also for $199 or even $169 they should include Memory Maker with Photo Pass.